Frozen material



- eifected by the so-called quick-freezing proc- Other objects will appear from the following esses". In any event, when the fish are frozen, description and appended claims. 10 they are maintained in cold storage until used. In accordance with the principles of the in- Patented July 18, 1 939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FROZEN MATERIAL Robert Henry Bedford, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing. Original application May 11, 1937,

Serial No. 141,937. Divided and this application February 26, 1938, Serial No. 192,798

3 Claims. (01. 99-195) This invention relates to frozen materials, such block or as a glaze, from aqueous solutions conas block ice, ice-glazed frozen comestibles and taining an acid. containers in which frozen products may be It is, therefore, an object of this invention to stored or transported. provide substantially non-cracking ice in various For many years comestibles, particularly flesh forms, such as in the formof block ice or as a 5 foods such as fish, have been frozen for the purglaze on frozen comestibles or as a glaze on conpose of preserving such comestibles until used. tainers in which the frozen comestibles are Recently, the freezing of comestibles has been packed.

When frozen fish are maintained in cold storstant invention, when a flesh food such as fishage, they are exposed to air and even at very is to be given an iceglaze, the fish are frozen by low temperatures, for example -20 C., the rate either a quick freezing process or any other freezl5 of evaporation is comparatively so great that the ing process, and the frozen fish dipped into the fish become dry or dehydrated. As a conseglazing solution. The temperature of the glazing quence, undesirable changes in the chemical nasolution is usually at a temperature considerably ture of the fish as well as their constituents 112- higher than both the temperature of the frozen sult. fish and the temperature of the room in which In order to inhibit evaporation directly from the glazing operation is performed. As a conse- 20 frozen fish under storage or other conditions, the quence, when the fish are dipped into the glazfrczen fish are dipped in water whereby an ening solution and withdrawn therefrom, the glazvelope or glaze of ice completely surrounding the ing solution adhering to the fish, due to the temfish is produced. When glazed fish are stored perature of the fish and the temperature of the at temperatures below the freezing point or waglazing room, is substantially immediately frozen, 25 ter, evaporation of water takes place from the providing a glaze completely enveloping the fish. ice glaze instead of from the fish and thus the The operation may be repeated, the number of evaporation directlly from the fish together with clippings in the glazing solution depending on the undesirable effects are eliminated. the thickness of the glaze desired.

The ice glaze produced from ordinary water The glazing solution contemplated by this in- 30 cracks either immediately in many places or it vention is an aqueous solution which will procracks in many places after storage. Where a duce a non-cracking ice. These'results are secrack in the glaze appears, there is evaporation cured by incorporating acids, organic or inof water directly from the cells of that part of organic, in the glazing solution. The acids conthe fish and later from the adjacent cells. Due templated by this invention are non-toxic and 35 to the fact that the water glaze is brittle, the edible or used in such portions as to be non-toxic cracking may be increased or indeed the glaze and edible. Further, in order to secure the dechipped off, when the glazed fish are moved from sired properties, the acids should be soluble in one position to another during storage or when water and the ice obtained from such aqueous 40 they are transported. v solution should be a homogeneous solid. The 40 In the manufacture of ice from distilled water eutetlc temperature of the ice should be in the or raw Water either by the plate or can method, neighborhood of 0 C. since the maximum the water is frozen at comparatively high temchanges in protein denaturation take place at peratures. When the rate of freezing is vhas- -2 C. The acidsshould be of the type which tened by a temperature of or slightly less than have a minimum of reaction with'proteins of 5 -12 C., the block ice cracks either in the can or fish (shine and skin) or the constituents of mus- .when the can or plates are being heated for the: ole cells. The acids should be substantially free purpose of melting out the ice from the container of odor or taste which could be absorb'edby slime,

(see Practical Refrigerating Engineers Pocket- S 0 e- Preferably alsb the acid Should 5 book by John E. Starr, published by Ice and Repossess antiseptic properties whereby the bacfrigeration, Chicago, 1922). Cracked ice shatterial growth and autolytic activity in fish are ters when jarred and consequently cannot be' reduced. Various acids, may be used-J I have handled economically. found the best results are. secured when organic I have now found that I can produce substanacids of the type and nature of benzoic acid of 5 tially non-cracking ice, either in the form of a U. S. P. grade and inorganic acids of the type and nature of hydrochloric acid of U. S. P. 'grade are used.

To more clearly illustrate the nature and principles of the invention, there are hereafter set forth several illustrative embodiments of the invention.

served for a longer period of time than heretofore.

The principles of the instant invention, as previously mentioned, are also applicable to the production of block ice possessing the noncracking properties. In accordance with this The concentration in each of the above speciflc illustrative embodiments is the minimum concentration for the conditions set forth. However, it is to be understood that higher c ncentrations may be used without departing from the spirit of this invention. Usually, however, the minimum concentrations will be used for any particular set of conditions.

Now with respect to the temperature conditions in the specific examples, it will be noted that the temperature of the frozen fish is between -30 C. and -35 C. and that the temperature of the glazing. room is C. These conditions have been selected in order to give the most economic conditions at a temperature known to be sufliciently low for all practical purposes. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to these precise temperature conditions. If the temperature of the frozen fish to be glazed is, for example, at a higher temperature, i. e. 10 C., then the minimum concentration of the substances might and could be less than stated. If a lower temperature than 35 C. were used, then a higher concentration of the substances set forth would have to be used. The concentration for any particular set of conditions can be easily determined by simpleexperiment by any person skilled in the art.

Fish discolor as a result of discoloration of oils or the growth of chromogenic bacteria. Some of the causes which may bring aboutthis are bacterial decomposition of the cell proteins, while the fish are fresh or even if the fish are frozen and stored at too high a temperature, and the leakage of ammonia fumes from the cooling coils or refrigerating system coming in contact with the frozen fish. By the use of the present invention the rate of bacterial growth or killing Y the bacteria is markedly reduced .or inhibited and the deleterious effect, if ammoniacal fumes come in contact with the surface of; the glaze, is avoided. 1

Though in the illustrative embodiments Cohoe salmon is specifically referred to, it is -to be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto. The principles of this invention may be applied to other varieties and species of fish and indeed to flesh food including meat of alLkinds and nature,

Glazes on comestibles, such as flesh foods, or on containers produced as aforementioned are non-cracking and smooth. The substances mentioned form concentrated solutions when the glaze is formed which do not freeze at the storage temperatures used in practice. The hydrochloric acid solution rises by capillary action to the surface of the glaze, where it forms a film. and reduces the vapor pressure characteristics of-the concentration of the glazing solution. As a consequence, the commodity treated, with a glazing solution of the type herein described is prenon-toxic and edible.

on i 1 a o t u Kl d l'fl h Teml i i em 08 com un 011C911 m on D O S g BZlng' g azmg p0 a room, 0. water, 0.

1 Hydrochloric acid--- pH 1.0..... Cohoe salmon to -as 25 1 2 Benzoic acid 0.10% by weight do -30 to -25-. 1

whereby the block ice is loosened and removed.v

In the can method, after freezing, the can containing the block of ice frozen therein is immersed into a solution of water at a relatively high temperature, such as 80-100 C., whereby the block ice is loosened from the can and re.- moved. The sudden heating of the plate or the sudden immersion of the can into hot water exerts a tremendous strain on the ice but, when the features of the instant invention are utilized, the ice does not crack. In order to further illustrate this phase of the invention, there are hereafter set forth several illustrative embodiments thereof:

It is to be understood that the invention, with respect to the production of block ice having noncracking characteristics, is not restricted to the specific examples just given, since it is clear that different freezing temperatures may be employed. It will be noted that the concentration at the freezing temperature of -18 C. :1 C. is lower than that employed when the freezing temperature is -30 C. The relationship between the freezing temperature and concentration can be readily determined by simple experiment by anyone skilled in the art.

By the use of the instant invention, non-cracking block ice is produced. In addition to possessacid, the ice, i. e., glaze or block ice, in addition to possessing the characteristics aforementioned is also substantially transparent and waterwhite in color.

The term "edible as used in the claims is intended to cover substances which are edible and non-toxic or used in such proportions as to be Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the above description without departing from the nature or spirit 7;

thereof, this invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 141,937, filed'May 11, 1937.

I claim:

1. Ice formed of water containing benzoic acid in an amount to impart non-cracking characteristics to said ice.

2. Frozen flesh foods having an ice glaze formed of water containing benzoic acid in an amount to impart non-cracking characteristics to said ice.

Frozen fish having an ice glaze formed of water containing benzoic acid in an amount to impart non-craeking characteristics to said ice.

ROBERT HENRY BEDFORD. 

